Censer of Candis

Censer of Candis - Magic Censer +1
Whenever equipped by a priest, sage, or holy man it allows them to turn undead as though they were one level higher. The Censer also acts as a holy symbol.

Created by the honorable Noble House of Candis, this Censer is wrought from blue-green metal and is especially holy by its maker's hands. Its design is inspired by nature, being made with angles and of a shape that are offensive and weaken the forces of chaos. This power grants passage and defense against endless or repeating hallways, straightens warps in space, and acts as something to right the path of non-euclidean spaces. As long as Incense burns in the Censer, the dungeon cannot pull any of the above tricks. The smoke also always floats exactly parallel to where it was puffed and stays there until it fades; so one only need look behind them to see if the smoke is trailing upwards and they can see if they are moving down a subtly sloped passageway.

As a symbol of purity and law, those who serve the forces of chaos seek to destroy this Censer. If the Censer is smashed by anyone willingly doing so, the Gods of Chaos instantly award them with a Chaos Medallion Power, which they now have for the rest of their life.

Reward for Evil

When it comes to fantasy cosmologies, there is often a problem when it comes to characters who are evil. What is the reward for being evil?

In many settings, there are evil gods. But this contrasts, or is downright contradictory, to a traditional religious afterlife system of heaven and hell, or multiple heavens and hells. Especially in fantasy worlds where the afterlife is a proven, absolute "thing" that everybody knows about- why would ANYONE be evil or serve the dark gods if they will just end up in hell?

Sometimes, the dark gods will offer a worshiper a good or decent afterlife. This makes their evil moreso a service to the dark god in life to earn a reward after death- but this lacks the feeling that good people are rewarded and bad people are punished. The cosmology will be messy. Many people enjoy the thought of karmic justice in the universe, even if it doesn't exist. Fantasy worlds, which are often at least partially a form of escapism, can serve to fulfill this fantasy.

Second; reincarnation. The concept of being reborn into a higher or lower life form based on your deeds and virtue in life is simple, and positive. However, it comes with another problem; the individual is being punished for their actions in the next life, not the one they lived. They have no memories of their previous incarnation, and can almost be called a different person. It may even seem cruel.

Then; you have a combination of reincarnation and hell; where people are reborn into hell to suffer to clear their karmas or sin. This is a concept found in Jainist beliefs. Now, don't take me as criticizing a real world religion on this, but it follows the above problem, plus it doesn't truly explain the origins of devils. If Gods, animals, people, and so on are all souls of the same beings all the way down; why not have people turn into devils instead?

I've also seen the D&D explanation that people are actually reborn into devils, sometimes starting as a tiny soul-worm which has to work its way up the ranks to become a powerful demo, which I kind of like. Of course, this raises the first point of "how is this a punishment?". How is getting to become a powerful, immortal, magical demon creature in any way a punishment? You were evil in life, and then you become a creature that can do even more evil, but is driven towards it even more. The politics of devils may be very cutthroat or dystopian, but it seems to just encourage evil behavior then punish it.

So let's take this out a bit to its logical conclusion. There's no reason this can't work- in fact, I'd say it's the best solution to the issue.

Physical Reincarnation

When you die, you will be reborn into a new body. It will not be a mortal body; and you will remember everything about your past life. You are changing states, but are the same person. Death is still irrevocable- unless your spirit is powerful enough to carry on as a ghost or be resurrected. Some spirits and bodies can linger for hundreds, if not thousands of years before "passing on". In the grand scheme of time, these are merely intermediary stages.

People of a higher spiritual order will be revived as Devas, the higher forms of angelic superbeings. These are not the same as Gods, who are the powerful creators or preservers of the world. They are contrasted by the Dark Gods, Elder Gods, or perhaps Satans if you like this contrast. Devas are immortal, ageless spirits who attempt to guide the world and the beings in it towards higher levels of happiness and spiritual wholeness, as well as battle against the forces of darkness. Usually indirectly- such as in the form of all white animals. Devils are much more likely to appear in their full force- but that goes beyond the scope of this post.

People of a lower spiritual order will instead be revived as Devils. The demons, who live in the hell worlds. Contrary to what people believe, there are no mortal souls in hell- baring very few exceptions, like people who go exploring there, everything down here reincarnated as a devil. Also contrary to belief, no power can force a soul to come there either without its own choice or karmic imbalance. Innocents sacrificed do not have their souls sent to hell, devils simply enjoy seeing the torment of the beings on in the living world.

Devils are mismatched creatures, built of many conflicting, chaotic animal parts. They are powerful, and can become more powerful then mortals simply be being evil. Many devils built their entire mortal lives around being as evil as possible; to become the most powerful demon they can be. Many are even further seduced down this path because the least offensive demons remain as tiny imps and servants in the demon realms- what humiliation to be trapped as that!

Of course, they don't know any better.

Demons can ascend an infernal hierarchy through their deeds and karmas. Tricking mortals into sinning is the best, and some even attempt to claim ownership for the first few thousand years of the new demons "life" as their servant if they were the ones that offset their karma. Causing wanton destruction, confusion, and suffering are all good too- increasing the demon's strength and influence. 

Happiness

Of course, these demons constantly seeking more power and influence don't understand- none of this is making them any happier.

Even the most miserable humans can have a few moments of respite. The short-term satisfaction of indulging, an act of kindness given or received, or a sense of peace in a natural place. These pleasures, and several others, will happen from time to time to even the most evil of humans. But once you become a demon? That all changes.

You see, power doesn't make people happy. Neither does riches, nor fame. Peoples sense of what they want doesn't change once they become devils- none of them like the place where they are. That's why they try so hard to be summoned or open portals into the mortal world; hell is not so much a prison but a reflection of what they've become. Dead, barren lands filled with crumbling ruins to hollow ego, lakes of fire and bile, mass darkness and howling void. Demons would much rather live around clean lakes and fields of green grass, they don't understand that their domineering, arrogant ways are what causes this place to look like this.

Demons still have vices; satisfaction of vices is a very physical trait, to quench thirst or desire for sex are based on biological processes. Demons don't have these, but they still mentally desire these things. This means these acts can't actually satisfy them, because it is greedy, lust, or gluttony that inspires them forward. It is not a reward mechanism for a living thing to survive and reproduce, who merely exists as something they want more and more of, eternally needier the more they can satisfy it.

Many demons will try to become more and more powerful, not understanding what it means. The more powerful demons have the most enemies, the most to lose, and hunger for more and more. The weakest demons, the imps and little spirits of evil, can sometimes be spared a lashing whip from a superior, or to have their immortal body rendered apart by a rival. This isn't true kindness, just being passed over by being so insignificant. Even this tiny bit of peace is still something that makes the lesser demons ever so slightly better off then a greater one.

Humans, arrogant and blind, will disregard the spiritual matters of wisdom, kindness, and peace to focus on their own power and status do not know what lies at the end of that road. Everyone knows that forgiveness, freely given from the injuried, is a far greater force of justice then punishment; demons do not understand this, nor do they want it- that's why every slight against them is met with horrendous torture. Everyone knows that the more riches one gives, the more they truly have in the spirit- they have no attachment, and thus, don't need it. Demons don't understand this, which is why their mountain  of pillaged treasure feels worthless as dirt. Humans who try to build their afterlife towards evil are setting themselves up for failure, and they don't know it. The most egotistical, greedy, hungry men will become devils, and then these devils can climb the ranks to become greater demons, until eventually they can sit on the throne as the archviles.

At the peak of devil society are the most powerful demons, with masses of slaves, dark magic, riches plundered from the earth and below. And these devils live every day of their eternal life in spite towards everyone and everything else. Their own servants cannot be trusted, they are locked in eternal struggle with their rivals, their power and strength grants no joy beyond means to an end. Each and every one seeks ways to gain dominion over hell, and then the earth, not understanding that if they did, they would just be the most miserable person on it.

Headcanon for Exorcist I & Exorcist III's unusual cosmology (Long)

So when I was a kid, I was always scared of scary movies. And the big bad motherfucker of a scary movie was The Exorcist. I was terrified of this movie. It had some kind of cult legacy that followed it for decades after its release, so even kids like me, born decades after it released, had some kind of unholy fascination towards it. This was scarier then Freddy or Jason. Scarier then Saw or The Ring. This was a scarier motherfucking movie.

Of course, as an adult I went back and watched it. It was great. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate these movies for other factors beyond the horror- directing, acting, cinematography. It's a little laughable nowadays. The scariest part of The Exorcist were the medical scenes! But needless to say, I enjoyed the movie immensely.

Now at the time, I didn't even really know the Exorcist has sequels. At the time, the general consensus was the Exorcist 2 and the remakes were bad. Then I heard about the Exorcist 3. I watched about halfway through the Red Letter Media review of it, stopped to avoid spoilers, got the movie, and watched it myself. It was pretty great.

But between Exorcist 1 and 3, there's this really interesting implied cosmology. Note- if there is more Exorcist deep lore I am unaware of, or if any of this has been proven or disproved by the second film, I don't really care. This isn't about the actual “lore” of the Exorcist films, this is just my headcanon from one and three. I thought this would be a fun, unusual blogpost for here. So feel free to skip if it's not your normal thing. Also will obviously contain spoilers.

The Exorcist

The first Exorcist film is pretty simple. There's this lonely girl who gets an “imaginary friend” and starts acting weird. Turns out she's possessed by a demon. The only solution is to call in an Exorcist.

Most of the supernatural events in the movie are about in line what you consider for what a “demon” could do. Objects fly around the room. Strange, impossible biological stuff (like the head spinning around thing- endlessly parodied) as well as superhuman strength, especially for a young sick girl. Levitation and demonic voices. Knowledge that a little girl shouldn't have. All of it fits well with a general “haunted house” vibe. But notice the general theme- most of the stuff is “plausible”. Or rather, while clearly supernatural, there is no instant transformation into demonic forms, no creation of matter, or no totally overpowered magical demonic stuff.

There's this great line in the movie. When the younger of the two priests (Karras) sits down, a drawer opens on its own. He tells the possessed girl to do it again, and the entity speaking through her says “in due time”. It's a great conversation, which seems almost cordial despite how clearly evil and inhuman this being is. When asked if the entity could simply make the bonds tying the girl down disappear, it replies with “that would be too vulgar a display of power, Karras.” This line is great because it implies that these entities, spirits, whatever else have to follow some kind of rules. It never implies it can't do it, but it chooses not to.

There's another element here I want to add- the good guy priests here believe in God, but God never directly manifests in this film. God never directly acts. The end of the movie is even a bit ambivalent of who “wins” in the end; any victory that happens is a human victory.

The Exorcist 3

The third Exorcist film has a great atmosphere to it. The film is mostly set in a hospital, next to/in an old folks home. The entire movie is dotted with gruesome murders, which are in line with a famous serial killer called the Gemini. The Gemini killer has been dead for fifteen years- executed.

This movie also has a great police detective story feel to it. The murders here are thought to be a copycat killer, but there are two problems. The first is that the police released the details of the Gemini killer that were false intentionally, to weed out crazy people who might claim to be the Gemini. But this killer is not performing the false version of events, but copying the actual Gemini killer. Secondly, all of the murders have been done so precisely that it seems supernatural. The exact dosage of a paralyzing drug, every single drop of blood siphoned from the corpse without a single drop spilled, and so on.

Now onto the spoilers. It turns out that Karras, the exorcist priest from the first film, is actually still alive. See, at the end of the first Exorcist, Karras told the demon to take him instead to leave Regan's body, and when it started to take over him he jumped out the window and killed himself down the long flight of spooky stairs. He's not only still alive- but his body is still possessed.

This leads a great, almost cordial conversation again. Just like in the first movie; these scenes between the detective character and the entity inside of Karras were great. I loved these scenes. There was much more madness, but this concept of being face to face, able to ask and tell anything you wish to some entity immeasurably beyond anything human is a great story beat. It's also fun to think about, a kind of interaction with stakes and danger. What would I say to it in that jail cell? Do you honestly think you could convince it to change its ways? Probably not- it's evil is a deeper evil then any human could understand. But perhaps you could trick it to reveal something useful- or would you just set it off?

It's important because these conversations between Karras and detective Kinderman reveal to us some of the most important details about the cosmology about the Exorcist universe.

Exorcist 3 Evidence

In Kinderman's talks to the demon (also Gemini killer) several facts or ideas are put forward by the being. It is important to know that this is all we go on, but obviously a demonic entity would be prone to lying. I've included paraphrased quotes. From this we gather;

• Learned some kind of supernatural abilities from The Master- this is directly after he does a demon roar in Karras's body, not a normal human vocalization. (the Master is implied to be the demon in control of the body, who can be cruel)
• The Gemini Killer's soul was picked up “on the outside”. “It can be cruel at there”.
• “The Master is throwing me scraps from his table, a little reward for my service.”
• When the possessed Karras goes to sleep, the body (heartbeat, temperature, breathing) slows to a crawl. But his brainwave activity accelerates.
• As with the above fact; at the end of the movie it is revealed how the murders are being done- the elderly patients are being possessed by the Gemini killer. This is despite the fact that his/the demon's body is locked up in a padded cell.
• (Gemini Killer in Karras's Body) “There I was, in the void, without a body. And then came- well you know, my friend. One of them. Those others there, the cruel ones. The Master. And he thought that my work should continue- in this body. In this body in particular.”
• The Master intentionally chose a priest's body to spread panic among the men of faith- this is directly stated by the Gemini Killer as the devil's “scheme”.
• The Master brought the Gemini Killer's soul to Karras who was dying.
• Karras's body after the end of the first movie was dying or dead. “His brain was jelly. It took maximum effort to get out of the coffin. So much damage to Karras's brain cells.” and “It took quite an effort to regenerate your friend's puny little brain cells- It took me fifteen years!”
• “It's not enough to be a spirit. There's no magic- in this artificial box you call a world. We cannot touch except through bodies, you understand? We operate through brains- neurological systems and your friends was nearly past resurrection!”

The Glass Box

This, in combination with factors from the Exorcist 1, have given me a rough idea of a (very interesting) cosmology for the Exorcist universe. Once again, this is entirely my opinion and an interesting potential secondary interpretation of the otherwise very played-straight religious and demonic possession themes of the Exorcist universe.

Unfortunately for diversity of potential beliefs, both movies feature Catholicism very heavily. As far as the series is concerned, the Catholic faith is the correct one for our interpretation. However, if the second movie featured say, a Baptist or Protestant priest performing the exorcism, I think the interpretation would be the same or even enhanced by it. The reason for this minor complaint is that it puts too much emphasis on religion for our interpretations.

Essentially; there is nothing supernatural in the Exorcist universe. Everything that is “supernatural” in the movies is the result of psychic powers. Yes really. The universe as presented in the Exorcist is a box- a glass box. The “spirits” that exist outside of the universe can see in, and we inside can see out. They can even communicate through the glass, but alone they are powerless.

It is for this reason they are powerless without a body to inhabit.

All that shit flying around the room in Regan's room in The Exorcist? That's her own psychic powers, which have been magnified by the demon. I even believe psychic powers feature heavily in the second movie, which I have not seen nor care to see, so everything I'm saying here could already be established. Now I should mention here- just because humans can develop these kinds of abilities, doesn't meant they should. Think of Humans in this universe a bit like highly built, purpose crafted sports cars that demons break down for scrap parts and repurposed to cause havoc. It causes immense strain on the bodies of those they inhabit- cuts and bruises opening as the demons play with the muscles and scratch the skin- they don't know what these pain signals mean or care.

God, or the Creator in the Exorcist universe, created it to be orderly and fundamentally practical. It is a physical universe, created either for the benefit of humans, or to allow human free will. Given the presentation of the movies, we are pretty certain that this is the Christian and/or Catholic God, or at very least the Judeo-Christian God from the bible. However, I don't think this necessarily needs to be what is actually going on. For two reasons- the first is that in both movies, not all the main characters are Christian or at least aren't devout. Secondly, if you go with the psychic powers interpretation above, then God doesn't necessarily need to be the one granting the Exorcists their powers.

God in the Exorcist universe wanted humans to have free wills. The spirits outside, the cruel spirits which could be literal demons cast out of heaven OR some other fundamental and separate aspect of reality, they take over humans and make them do “fun” things, because they don't have bodies themselves. The souls of humans are inextricably tied to their bodies- as long as they are alive, they are within their own body. The demon in Exorcist 3 explicitly wants to torture Karras, who is still trapped within his body- why would God allow Karras to still be in his body for fifteen years, only to be forced to do things he doesn't want to do by an evil serial killer?

Because God can't intervene- at least not directly.

God of the Box

The same as the demons in these movies- God is outside of the glass box. Perhaps God simply doesn't want to intervene, same as the “Master” in the first movie- it would be too vulgar a display of power. I'm not a theologian nor a Christian, but I once heard a pretty good argument from one about why God doesn't show proof of his existence- it would take away the human ability of free will. Now that answer is very much an apologist answer- but I will accept it at face value. I don't think it's out of the question. God won't do anything directly in the Exorcist movies because he either chooses not to, or because he is locked out of his own universe he has created. There's no “magic” in that universe.

So whenever an Exorcism happens in the Exorcist movies- it is not God but it is the person performing the Exorcism. It is their own psychic power acting through them. This is why I complained a bit about the movies only having catholic exorcists- if we saw other faiths, we could say it was human conviction (or God just doesn't align to only one religion, which works too) that had the power in the scenario.

This is somewhat cooperated by the ending of the first film, where Karras jumps out a window as he's being possessed to kill himself. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like a very properly Christian ending- it's more pragmatic. It's more human. That's why Exorcism is a battle, it's not a one sided show where God steps through his servant to crush the Devil. It's a battle of minds, where the priests channel their own faith and hope against a spirit who has puppet-mastered another human into being the opposite- an instrument of negative emotions and evil.

Therefore my secondary interpretation of the movies is one of a more pragmatic, human, universal take on the Exorcist genre. I don't claim that this is the REAL goings on behind the scenes in the movies, nor do I think this has any basis in real religious beliefs. I just wanted to share a weird headcanon that I hope you enjoy- or get something out of it.

Heaven's Riders

Catholic priests tirelessly feeding the poor and downtrodden. Police officers and soldiers fallen in the line of duty. Chivalric knights fighting for justice. Dogs jumping into burning buildings to save their masters. What do all these people have in common? They are considered heroes. And most also consider they have a one way ticket to heaven.

But people often criticize theology. The concept that a heaven and a hell can exist at the same time is a bit paradoxical. How could you be truly happy in heaven while there are souls suffering in hell, especially for people as righteous as these?

Ask any preacher or pastor. What happens to unbaptized children? They'll swear up and down that they go to heaven, even if they haven't accepted Jesus. Or even been a good person- they're babies after all! But that's not how it actually works. Why do you think evil satanists sacrifice children and virgins to the devil? Because it sends them straight to hell, even people who have committed no sin. What about Catholics who die just before confession- do they go to hell too, just for bad timing? What about Atheists, swayed by scientific reasoning but were otherwise good people- do they go to hell forever too? Is this really how God's love should work?

The truth is that the battle between good and evil is a battle. It's not something God can just sit back lazily and let it sort itself out. Battles need soldiers.

The Nature of Heaven

When people die and go to heaven, they are reborn in an ageless, flawless, perfect body. Imagine if you actually exercised and slept the amount that physicians recommend. Imagine if you did all that almond milk detox yoga shit. Imagine if you ate and drank nothing but the purest, freshest most natural ingredients. Imagine if you grew up free from stress or carcinogenic chemicals. That flawless, perfect body in heaven is that body. It's the body you would have had on Earth, if life wasn't so messy and full of unknowns.

This perfect body is ageless. You live in heaven with it until judgment day, when God's children will retake the Earth from Satan, and live on it peacefully forever. This perfect body, however, is irreplaceable. You only get one. More importantly, it is still human. Anything that can kill a human can kill this body. Of course, it is very strong, healthy, and eternally young- but it can die. So there is a risk that, if taken out of heaven, you can “die” again. And once that body dies, you'll be stuck as a spirit, never able to reclaim the Earth as a chosen one of God. Never able to enjoy the pleasures of sex or food ever again- never able to bear children and help repopulate the world after the rapture.

This is the risk that the Heaven's Riders must take, to save the souls of the innocent from Satan.

Heaven's Riders

These are the souls of heroes- who cannot sit idly by and let the souls of innocents suffer. They fight back against evil in the only way a mortal soul can- by stealing them back. Remember- God will win the fight in Good against Evil. But the assumption that he will win easily, handily, or constantly is a human invention. It is a feel-good belief, not a factual one. Remember, a third of all angels defected with Lucifer. The forces of hell are powerful- especially compared to a poor human.

Using the power of Heaven, these brave men and women ride “horses” made of angelic metal and powered by prayer. They cannot reappear on Earth- they're still dead already. But they can risk their new, one-and-only true body in battle against the devil. They ride down from Heaven, through the twisting gates of purgatory and the veil, through the realms of the haunting, down past limbo, and then into the fires of hell. Some of them practice on the easier souls- the slip ups who tumble just down to the realms between heaven and hell. These are the easy saves, a good way to get your feet wet and practice with your awesome machine. But when it comes to actually raiding Hell, the training wheels come off and you'd better be ready.

They fly past a soul, holding out their hands and grasping it, snapping them from the clutches of damnation. Skidding over rocks at breakneck speeds- only the reaction speed of a perfect, flawless body and eyes that can see distant valleys could possible pilot this machine. Once the victim is in tow, they must return them to heaven. Do you think demons just let this shit fly? No way. They return in hot pursuit- out of hell, up limbo, through the realms of haunting, past the veil, up through the twisting gates of purgatory- and stop short right at the pearly gates of Heaven. They can't enter, of course, so once you return the soul to heaven, you're safe.

So it's a race on the way back too, and these devils are mean. They'll fire at you with advanced and primitive weapons, blazed with hell fire. They'll try to crash your ride, or even just steal the soul back with bloody chains of evil. If they corner you, you'll die again, and lose your true body for good. The Riders don't bring weapons with them- it's not in God's plan for mortals to destroy evil in that way, and besides, anything you bring along would just weigh you down and make it impossible to escape, especially with a soul in tow.

Of course, everyone knows God will win in the end. Peace on Earth will be restored one day, the wicked souls punished, demons banished to the abyss, and all the innocent will rejoice. But when will that day come? Nobody in heaven knows- not even the angels will say. How long will innocents suffer Satan's wrath? How long will unbaptized babies and tribal people born before the revelations of Christ suffer from hellfire? Even one day of torture would be too much- what about years? Centuries? Millennia? Any amount is an injustice. That is why we ride.

11 Strange Cleric Hirelings & their Wacky Religions

To create a Cleric Hireling, roll a 1d12. Stats that are not specified are rolled randomly upon creating a hireling, as per the normal method.

[1] Saposa the Long-Haired

Stats- +5 Str, +1 Con, +1 Wis, -2 Cha

Turns- The Groomed

All of his body hair is super long and unkempt. Head, facial, armpits, pubic, everything. He's got a Sampson thing going on, and his God is in a covenant with him to grant him super human strength as long as he does not shave.

Saposa is a cleric of the God of the wild things, and as such his power to turn undead is replaced with the power to turn groomed. This includes beings or creatures that are heavily groomed; cats and rats flee from his voice, perfumes stop short from spreading their flowery scents, elves run, and nobles must make a save to avoid the urge to flee. Instead of a destroyed result on a Turning, the target instead becomes cursed with untidiness, causing messes in their wake and having a permanent -2 AC from being dirty and clumsy. Bald mortals and certain creatures, such as giant naked mole rats, are totally immune to this power regardless of their hygiene level.

[2] Loafus of Uro

Stats- +1 Str, -1 Con, +2 Wis

Turns- The Fairie & The Deceptive Path

Loafus is a short fellow with bad lungs. He carries a walking staff and needs weekly trips to breathe fresh air in the mountains, else he sicken. He wears a blue girdle with cold iron pins stuck in every few inches, to ward against fairies.

Uro is a city that once wrestled control of itself from the fairies that occupied it, and threatened to pull it into their realm permanently. The patron spirit of that city infused Loafus with its power. Loafus can turn fairies, though they are never destroyed, and are instead simply banished back to their fae woods. Loafus's ability to turn can also be used on deception and false paths; for example if he successful cast his Turning against a labyrinth, the walls would be forced to shift to give straight passage, though traps and monsters may be placed right in his way. This is always temporary, except on a destroyed result, in which case the false path or misleading fairy signs are eradicated.

[3] Phillus Decantt

Stats- -1 Str, +2 Dex, +1 Wis, +2 Cha

Turns- Music & Musical Incantations

As one of the few religious adherents allowed to keep a family name and business. His god is the God of music and mastery of music. He is skilled in several instruments, and is teaching his daughters the ones he does not know, so their family will be a complete band.

Phillus has the power to turn music; specifically rival music and poorly played music, as well as the music of savage peoples like drums and shrieking. His power also works on spell like incantations, sorcerer's laughter, the song of a siren, and so on. Using this power can block the morale bonus from wardrummers, and stop musical spells or abilities. On a destroyed result, the offending instrument is destroyed, or offending voice is stricken mute for 2d6 days and takes that many points of damage.

[4] Synthuusia

Stats- -3 Str, +1 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 Cha

Turns- Bitter Truths & Mortification

Synthuusia is a young woman whose growth was stunted due to the prophetic fumes she was forced to breathe as a youth. She's very short and physically very underdeveloped, but she still retains some powers of prophecy even if she is too old to serve as a temple oracle anymore. She serves her temple through other forms of service.

She worships the Goddess of prophecies and dancing. By using her power of turning, Synthuusia can create a cloud of that same fume that she once breathed for days on end. This fume lightens depression and makes things you see less ugly. It softens features as well as fear. She can use the turning roll as a replacement for any hireling or player-character morale check versus fear, natural or supernatural, as the fumes make everything seem less harmful or serious. On a destroyed result, the hazy fumes give a kind of precognition to her and her allies, granting +1 to AC or saves versus whatever she was turning against.

[5] Aie the Wise Man

Stats- -2 Dex, -1 Con, +2 Int, +4 Wis

Turns- Stupid People & Fools

Aie is an old sage with many lessons learned and much wisdom to teach. His religion is that of self enlightenment and respect towards philosophy. The God of philosophy only grants its powers to those followers who understand why they no longer need them.

Aie's power to turn is quite broad but limited. He can use it to attempt to turn any stupid person, group of dumb people, or collection of fools. On a regular result, the targets of the spell are compelled to leave, but are not forced to such as if engaged in violence. On a destroyed result, then targets are forced to leave, getting a headache from smart-people talking near them. This turning ability works great against unintelligent creatures, though creatures of above average intelligence for their species are immune to it. Anyone with a +1 Intelligence modifier is also immune to the power. Those who entertain for a living, which Aie respects, are also turned as well if they are in uniform. This includes play actors, court jesters, circus performers, etc.

[6] Mourner

Stats- +1 Str, -1 Con, +1 Wis, +1 Cha

Turns- Disrespectful of the Dead

Mourner has lost her name. She's given it up to better serve her role; in her temple she did nothing but mourn for the dead. She provided a valuable service to the poor and destitute, who could not afford funeral processions, since it is known that the more tragic the funeral and louder the wailing, the more the Gods will notice and reward the spirit in the afterlife.

Mourner has the power to turn those ungrateful to the dead. This mostly means tomb and crypt robbers, and thankfully she can target it to only strike those opposing them, as well as those that exhume corpses for nefarious purposes like vile necromancers. This power also works on carrion-eating species, if that creature has eaten or eats intelligent dead corpses, such as a gnoll or a cannibal. This power turns on a success and on a destroyed result; the victim gains Necrophobia, requiring a morale check or saving throw to enter a tomb or when they see a dead body, including undead both corporeal and otherwise. They get nervous even when they see a tombstone. This can only be removed through powerful magic or therapy. Her power does not work on the undead, even those that consume corpses or raise corpses on their own, such as a wight or lich.

[7] Very Holy Burkane

Stats- +2 Wis, +1 Cha

Turns- Undead & Demons +1

Very-Holy Burkane is his actual name. This priest has been in so many babtisms, done so many prayers, and consecrated so many times he's essentially walking church. The ground for 10 feet around him in diameter is also treated as a church for the purposes of spells or demons who cannot enter them. He's humble but uses his abilities tirelessly to ward against evil; in the places where he is from he gives up his spent clothes as talismans that townsfolk can nail above their door as a holy symbol, simply due to it rubbing off on the linens from his own holiness.

Burkane does not have a special target he can turn. Instead, he turns Undead & Demonic beings like most Clerics. However, he gets to add +1 to turning rolls or treat his level as +1 for turning attempts and results, whichever makes more sense for your game. Burkane's god isn't really important anymore, as his holiness has come from many churches, positive energy fonts and the adoration of the people, and as such his holy mish-mash aura means he cannot prepare any cleric spells but the most basic and common of healing and protection spells. Even multiplying food is too specific for this conglomerate of holy magic.

[8] Balsor the Blade

Stats- +2 Str, +2 Dex, -1 Wis

Turns- Blades

Balsor is a swordsman and worships a God of swords and oaths of fealty. He is also armed with a +1 magic sword. This sword is a deep gray and is translucent for its wielder. Balsor holds it to his face to hide his intentions for attacking and defense, giving enemies who try to read his motions -1 to hit or AC depending on the situation. If Clerics cannot use swords or magic swords in your game, Balsor can use only this one, as it has been blessed and ordained by his order.

Balsor turns blades; swords, knives, and slashing weapons are specifically turned. Semi-bladed weapons like axes or spears treat the turning result as one less. Turned weapons cannot harm anyone, and are supernaturally dulled. Destroyed result makes bladed weapons rusted through or shatter, though magic weapons are merely made dull and useless for (1d6 - weapons to-hit and damage bonus) turns. He can only use this power on a number of blades equal to his level.

[9] Kors of the Loom

Stats- +1 Dex, -3 Int, +2 Wis, -1 Cha

Turns- Inantimate Carpets

Kors belongs to a religion that holds the importance and sacredness of all cloth and woven items. This religion is quite large and complex, keeping several sacred and magical spun items as well as the act of spinning itself, but Kors is an idiot savant blessed with power despite having very little understanding. As such, he cannot cast any Cleric spell over 1^st level, regardless of his progression as a holy man.

The religion of the Loom has powers over cloth and fabric, but Kors interpretation is very specific. He can animate fabrics similar to carpets, rugs, tapestries, curtains, blankets, scarves, and so on. On a regular turned result, these items can be animated to perform a single action, such as attempting to wrap someone up or strangle them, levitate to carry a few pounds (but never a person), and so on. On a destroyed result, the carpet is permanently animated, and will follow Kors and obey his commands. Once Kors reaches name level or 10^th level, he has a permanent magic flying carpet made of one of his obedient, holy magic carpets. Even if this carpet is destroyed, he can touch another to instantly make it fly as well, he is never without a flying carpet once he reaches the maximum level.

[10] Diala the Mutilator

Stats- +1 Str, +1 Dex, -2 Cha

Turns- Hands

Diala worships the God that gave people hands, and takes her role very seriously. Beyond having an appreciation for hands and keeping a few trophies of her foes hands on her; she also has the ability to mutilate her own hands. This process is very painful to look at, but Diala feels nothing beyond religious zeal. Whenever she mutilates a finger, she regains 1 hit point and that finger rolls a random mutation, but cannot be used well until that hand is fully healed. Additionally, her fingers have a black circle permanently tattoo'd around each second knuckle, which marks her as a religious fanatic to those who know.

Diala has the power to turn hands. This causes a single hand or hand-like appendage to seize up, forcing it to drop whatever it was holding and making it unable to be useful for 1d4 rounds. On a destroyed result, the hand splits open and is in great pain, causing 1d6 damage to its owner and requiring healing to heal properly, else being permanently marred and inflexible. This power can also be used on hand-like body parts like the feet of various apes or graspers of other species. Radically different graspers like tentacles or pods treat the result of the turning roll to be one degree less, so a Turn is ineffective and a Destroyed counts as turned.

[11] Thamalar Greencloak

Stats- -2 Str, +3 Dex, +1 Int, +1 Wis

Turns- Herbivores

Thamalar is an elf or half elf, and worships a Goddess of plant life and the magic within trees. Invoking the druid's power, Thamalar may treat his Cleric level as one higher for the purposes of spell casting or turning rolls if he's touching an ancient tree.

Thamalar's religion, the lady of greens, can turn herbivores. This includes anything that has eaten vegetable matter in the past 24 hours- a turned result makes them flee, and a destroyed result makes them hungry and need a ration of meat or else they will starve. Exclusive herbivores like minotaurs, forest animals, some monsters, etc. Instead are turned for twice the duration and on a destroyed result are either killed as normal OR Thamalar can choose to make all their flat teeth fall out, and the creature now hungers for and must eat the flesh of living beings to survive. This is permanent.

[12] Roll a set of standard attributes, and swap the highest stat to Wisdom. Then, generate a random God or Elder God- the Cleric worships that figure. This Cleric also gains the Turning ability of banishing otherworldly creatures in addition to whatever powers they would normally have from that God or Elder God. Elder God turning abilities tend to be more curse-based or sinister, where as normal Gods have powers that are more good.

Sunrise Amulet & Diadem of Second Chances

Sunrise Amulet – Magic Amulet

Ego- 1

Amulet of magic invoking the powers and purity of sunlight. It has a very weak ego, and its Ego requirements can be fit by a first level Cleric or another character of 2^nd level. Those who try to use the amulet without meeting these requirements, or those creatures of the night (like vampires, werewolves, shadow beings, etc.) can still use the amulet, but it burns their skin like the sun and deals 1 damage per day being worn.

The main power of the sunrise amulet is to, once per adventure, create an illusionary sunrise over a level edge or surface. For example, over the lip of a table or the foot of a bed. The sunrise is clearly fake, but creates a huge amount of light akin to a sunrise would and can blind foes. Additionally, it causes a morale check among vampires or other creatures of the night. Clerics who use this amulet in conjunction with turn undead get +1d6 to their roll of total HD turned, as the terrifying light rebukes the undead creatures.

Finally; anyone wearing the amulet who casts a magic spells to create light can expend it's use charge to increase the duration of the light spell by +1 exploration turn.

Diadem of Second Chances

Ego- None/2

This silvery crown glows with a pale white energy. It has a weak ego, but its secondary ability requires a character to be second level to use it. The secondary ability of the Diadem is a feeling of peace and safety when being worn, and grants +1 to morale and to saving throws versus fear.

The main power of the Diadem and its legendary characteristic is that, when first placed on the head after a great disaster, its user can turn back time. Time reverts for 1d6+1 exploration turns, with only the wearer remembering the past. The same events play out in different ways, as random chance and free will step in, but this allows the user to literally change the future by preventing the past mistakes. Dead friends are revived, resources unspent, things go back to how they were.

Anyone can theoretically use the diadem, and it simply fades from existence after being used, making it a short lived artifact. It is said the diadem forms from the would-have wishes and desire to change the past that builds up every a few centuries in the minds of all mortal creatures; slowly coalescing into the penultimate artifact of time manipulation. If a TPK occurs, the last party member killed may with their dying breath place the diadem on their head to activate its powers, twisting fate.

Ironlore- Clan Dogma Tables

What is this clan's “coming of age” tradition? - 1d10

[1] Skin two ferrets. Alive. It is to prepare them for a lifetime of killing traitors and thieves.

[2] Get the shit kicked out of you by two boys at least a head taller then you.

[3] Build a house. Doesn't have to be for you.

[4] Trek to the site of an ancient battlefield and pay your respects to our clan's forgotten warriors.

[5] Be married to a woman who finishes her rites of womanhood; Before or after, doesn't matter.

[6] Take some drugs and go on a spirit quest. They bring back something tangible and very strange.

[7] Go kill a scary monster in the woods. Most boys just bring back a human bone and pass it off.

[8] Capture a member of an enemy clan for ransoming. Take a lock of their hair and burn it with salt from the blue mine; that way they cannot use Witchcraft on you for revenge later.

[9] Catch & release the elusive magic fish in the lake. The fish is intelligent and very old, and enjoys seeing each generation come out to catch it. If you don't throw it back it will just fly away.

[10] Long, complex, bureaucratic. Mostly involve rituals invoking the Gods and ancestors at different locations and different times of day in specific ritual garb. Takes years to finish.

What age do boys perform or begin this tradition? - 1d4

[1] 12

[2] When their voice deepens

[3] After their Father dies

[4] Whenever.

What is this clan's taboo? - 1d10

[1] Never build your house's highest point over the point of the tallest tree.

[2] The trotters of a pig must not be eaten by children, lest they grow them and waddle into the pen.

[3] Never tell another man's secrets while standing on his own ground.

[4] Never eat the meat of an animal who has seen you. It's spirit will hunt you down in revenge.

[5] Never wear red, and never affix red tassels, beads, or leather to weapons.

[6] Never store arrows pointed to the north.

[7] Never speak poorly of an elemental force. Ie: The forge's fires were too cold.

[8] Animals are always referred to as brothers and sisters.

[9] Women must keep their hair braided or covered when outside. The wind will choke you in envy.

[10] Fist fights are not allowed among men unless both are drunk and naked. This way, no division of class or a cool head will give an unfair advantage.

What is this clan's sacred place? - 1d10

[1] Within the belly of the crux-tree. Many trees fused, an ancient leviathan of the forest.

[2] In the long abandoned mine of the ancient empire; the last ore still gleams untouched.

[3] The center of town, a circle marked by stones and flowers.

[4] The hilltop, where corpses of our warriors are given a sky burial.

[5] An elephant graveyard, which we share with them. Obviously, taking any ivory is very forbidden.

[6] An old shack atop a floating island, hidden among a few hilltops. The shack itself is not special.

[7] The Emerald pond. Not algae; water is clear and bright green. Drink it only if you're starving.

[8] Within the smoking tepee. Mobile; they set it up for festivals and marriages.

[9] The mound in the salt flat. A shallow cave lets you crawl inside, humbling you. Marks on the walls tell the stories of old clans, who you don't care about anymore.

[10] Seemingly empty forest meadow. Still holds the subtle voice of the ancient fair folk which once met our clan and taught us their secret ways to mend cloth and create wine.

Fantasy Jainism

Joon is the name of a spiritual force of omnibenevolence that was created at the same moment the first living being is created. He is a praised God of Life, Peace, and Imprisonment. Joon is said to have written his first teaching on flower petals, but is not a God that conflicts with any other creation or religious myth. This means that many religions and places in the world still allow Joonics to worship and follow his teachings.

The Joonics believe in an absolute commitment to nonviolence. Each living thing you kill or cause the death of is punished in the next life, which manifests as years spent in a divine prison cell. Each HD of a creature you kill is a year, but even stepping on a bug or eating meat could add a few hours or days to your punishment. Eating carrion is not considered a sin, but buying meat from a farmer increases the demand for meat ever so slightly, causing more death, so you're guilty by some infinitesimal fraction. Causing or demanding someone's death indirectly is still considered guilt; a jealous queen who convinces her husband to hire and assassin to kill someone would mean that all of them would be guilty, but the exact amount of time each gains is variable. If the assassin used poisons he would be a little less guilty then if he used a knife, and so on. Warlords and Rulers of any kind easily stack up thousands, or even millions of years of punishment. Joonics abhor power for this reason.

The most common belief is that intelligent mortals receive 188 healthy years in the next life that they may exist. If their time of punishment extends beyond this, they are forced to endure it however long it is and at the moment it ends, they cease to exist. The time of punishment lasts for all the killing and violence they caused, and you are trapped in a small dirt cell with a window too high to reach, a simple cot, a hole in the floor, and are fed a single bowl of rice each day. Killing yourself is not possible, and simply adds a day to your time. Escape is also not possible.

If their 188 years is less then this jail sentence, that means they may leave the divine prison once their time is up and enjoy a short existence of bliss and joy before ceasing to exist. The Joonic religion is often combined with other religions and the “real” afterlife is spent after the Joonic one. Strict followers of Joon know better, and understand that whatever lies beyond is not as important as the divine jail. The Joonic afterlife outside of the jail cell is actually very nice, and includes a lake whose waters cause a feeling of total bliss in those who float on them, clouds which let you experience the good thoughts of all sleeping creatures on earth, and gardens with introspective fruits. But joy is fleeting, and every moment spent in your jail cell is time not spent in heaven.

In practice, the Joonics live by an absolute code of nonviolence, even in self defense. They are pretty much all vegetarians. In practice, their faith involves a lot of self discipline, constant care in their actions, and periods of self imprisonment and punishment. Spending a day in a prison willingly in your real life is equal to paying off one day of prison in the afterlife, so many Joonics are willingly imprisoned. More casual followers can put bars on their windows and eat nothing but rice to gain a tiny amount of sympathetic time off their prison sentence.

Is it possible to play as a Joonic adventurer? Absolutely. Joonic adventures will mostly play support classes, like Sages, and use indirect or accidental means of killing. With enough steps between you and the target, you may be able to whittle down the amount of time you get from killing them to almost nothing. Making your opponent fall on your sword is obviously a little less violent then stabbing them, and spreading grease on the floor to make them slip up themselves is even a little less violent, since it's their fault for tripping. Joonic's would probably receive a free jail at name level.